Some of the country’s best known comedians are hoping to be pitch perfect celebrating a night of side-splitting comedy at Inver Park.
BBC Blame Game Star Neil Delamere and Northern Ireland comedy sensation Paddy Raff will be taking to the stage this September as part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s vibrant arts programme.
Council has teamed up with Larne Football Club to bring two nights of laughs to Larne as part of a new mini festival ‘It’s Good to Be Back!’
The event at Larne’s Inver Park stadium is covered so can go ahead whatever the weather and runs from Saturday 18 to Sunday 19September.
Saturday will see BBC star Neil Delamere headlining, support acts Teresa Livingstone of Soft Border Patrol and upcoming star Frazer Robb will get the crowds warmed up whatever the weather.
Sunday sees the SSE arena sell out star, Paddy Raff, take to the stage, supported by funny men Micky Bartlett and Paddy McGaughey.
Both gigs will be compered by Give my Head Peace’s very own Da, Tim McGarry and kick off at 7.30pm with refreshments available from the 1989 Club onsite.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Cllr William McCaughey said: “We are so pleased to bring some of the finest comedic talent seen on these shores to Larne. We’re so excited to be working with Larne Football Club to deliver a weekend of much needed humour after what’s been a tough year for most.
“The arts sector has suffered greatly during the pandemic with no live performances in over 18 months. It’s now fantastic to see light at the end of the tunnel and what better way to celebrate than bringing sport and comedy together, using football stadia to welcome audiences back in a safe environment. A huge thanks to Larne Football Club for working with us on this fantastic festival and it will be one filled with laughs, so is certainly not to be missed.”
Gareth Clements, Chairman of Larne Football Club added: “It’s great for the club to be working alongside Mid and East Antrim Borough Council on this fantastic event, for not only the town and borough, but indeed residents across Northern Ireland.
“One of our guiding principles since re-energizing the club four years ago, was to put Inver Park at the heart of the community and make it a hub for all things good.
“This event is a real cultural fit for what we are trying to achieve, and I believe this will be the first of many we deliver.
“Whether it be smiles on people’s faces leaving Inver Park with three points on a Saturday, or with tears streaming down their faces with laughter after a comedy evening.
“I’ll happily accept both; what’s not to like!”
This event is suitable for anyone aged 18+. Tickets are £25 (plus £1.50 booking fee per ticket) and are available online at https://www.larnefc.com
It is strongly recommended that anyone attending the event should take a Lateral Flow Device test (LFD) no more than 24 hours before they attend and on days two and eight after the event. If you have any signs or symptoms or feel unwell, you should not attend and should follow the advice found at the NI Direct website.
This year’s Culture Night promises a spectacular structural, lighting and sound experience designed by Belfast artist Gawain Morrison around the ancient Druidic language Ogham.
Promising to be both large in scale with the opportunity for learning and contemplative Gawain believes the Writer’s Square transformation from September 17-19 will be something not to be forgotten at any time people visit it.
“We want people to be overwhelmed day and night,” Gawain explained.
“The actual scale of the structure itself will be impressive, the fact that these shapes and forms are there in maybe a way that haven’t been seen should also be stimulating and then the night time whenever you have the lighting really coming alive then it’ll have a completely different feel, but something to be remembered.”
Entitled Ogham Grove, Gawain, said the ancient Celtic Ogham Tree language reaches deep into the era where nature and myths intertwined.
“The Grove was very much based on the Ogham characters and the trees, the 20 trees that pagans and druids associated with everything to do with Ogham and its meanings,” he said.
“Whether it was for the practical elements of it, the mystical elements of it, and the fact that it was the way to be able to transverse stories and pass on knowledge.
“All this very much fitted with not only what the city garden theme was, but actually so much more in the richness of all the things that we weave in and out of, the life that those people lived in pagan times.”
Prior to the pandemic, Culture Night had been one of Belfast’s largest free events, a cultural celebration that attracted almost 90,000 local, national and international visitors to the Cathedral Quarter and Belfast city centre. The impact of COVID led to a major review of the event ultimately leading to Gawain’s artwork.
Susan Picken, Director of Culture Night and the Cathedral Quarter Trust said the enforced change will still leave people with a real sense of what art can do.
“Culture Night 2021 will be much smaller in scale and scope and will take the form of an on-site installation that people can drop into and enjoy over the course of the weekend,” she said.
“This different format will allow us to focus on safety as well as making sure everyone has a great time.”
Gawain with his team, including artist and prop designer Dylan McCaughtry, designer, artist and engineer Neil Beattie, lighting designer Tomás FitzGerald and drum loop producer Damian Mills said the work on the installation has been hectic but enjoyable.
“From the moment that the Culture Night team told us we’d won this proposal through until now it’s been fairly full on and fantastic to be honest with you,” he said.
“We’ve been able to go from the high-level concept from the Ogham characters, the Ogham Grove through to how do we actually make this all happen and working with Neil and Dylan on the concept works
“We’ve had a lot of fun being able to come up with the different iterations, and ideas and materials and thoughts and then to prototyping an experiment with them and now we’re actually getting into the meat of it, we’ve got an idea of what we really need to be at and the next couple of weeks are going to be hard going but a lot of fun.”
Gawain said the location of the Ogham Grove was something they were able to build upon.
“The Writers’ Square lends itself to two structures that we’re putting in, we wanted them to actually feel like they fill those spaces,” he said.
“We’ve separated them into two, one is a primer for the tree alphabet as we call it, where the information that we have involved either by reading or interpreting through the lights, you’ll be able to learn about the Ogham characters, and then the second piece which is at the end of this big structure is the Ogham wheel.
“This is where you’ll be able to sit and contemplate or you’ll be able to drum if you wanted to drum on it, but it will also be the centrepiece, it’s the focus of the Ogham wheel, the tree centre.
“The scale of these, the reason we’ve made them this large is so you can take a moment, wander round it and actually be contemplative.”
The Creative Lead’s experience as a creative director and producer for events, media and technology in TV, films, music videos and a range of other arts is such that the project appealed to him.
“My specialism is about taking creative concepts through to reality,” said Gawain.
“It is about being able to take something that is a little nugget somewhere ‘out there’ and bring it out to make something that people can experience or view.”
However, he and his team were keen to make sure that there was an environmental element to the project, that reflected modern concerns and tapped into the Druidic care for nature.
“It was something that was very important to us, and I believe that everybody that will be involved in this project is concerned about the sustainability and making sure that the materials used in this are not just new and thrown away, which is a sad part of a lot of large temporary structures that are built for arts or for film,” said Gawain, adding: “We wanted to be part of the ‘one more use’ thinking where you accessing products that are in a flow from one use to another and intercept them as part of the process flow, whether at the start of their journey or towards end.
“Using products and reusing products was a very important part of not only our concept but the actual structural and sustainable delivery of this.”
And, the principles underpinning the Ogham language means that visitors to Writer’s Square can access that belief.
“It was one of the first writing systems,” Gawain explained.
“It was created by Druids to pass on knowledge, sometimes for land boundaries and marking territories. It was also for directions and for passing on this knowledge and the fact that it was a writing system that was hidden is really fascinating. It was also a subversive language for when the Roman Empire and Christianity was starting to move across Europe.
“It was the fact that it harmonised with everything, it harmonises with trees, your environment, it makes sure that you’re living within your means, you’re living sustainably and it also then was the formation of the poetry, the music, the creative and the arts and all of this woven together is what made for a very healthy, fascinating lifestyle.”
This year’s CNB21 Presents: The Ogham Grove is supported by Belfast City Council, Arts Council for Northern Ireland, Tourism NI, Belfast Harbour Commissioners and Translink.
To keep up to date with all the CNB Presents: The Ogham Grove updates go to culturenightbelfast.com or follow #CNB21 on social media.
An initiative that saw additional dedicated police officers patrolling Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter has been welcomed as a proven success story by Destination CQ’s manager Damien Corr.
The Ballot for the continuation of the Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) is currently open until September 22. In an independent survey carried out in advance of the ballot, the Street Beat (#streetbeat) programme was seen as one of the key projects that adds value for businesses and organisations in the area, over 90% of respondents prioritised it for inclusion in the Business Plan for the next 5 years.
The StreetBeat officers are paid for by the BID and are additional to the normal policing provided by PSNI. The initiative was a direct response to local business owners’ concerns regarding antisocial activity within the areas.
BID manager Damien Corr said: “As the businesses are paying for the service, it was essential that they felt in ‘control’, accordingly the officers have a designated phone which our Cathedral Quarter businesses can call direct 07787432635. This ability to bypass the general PSNI Switchboard is key to a more effective localised response.”
The officers patrol the area on foot and in their distinctive CQ street beat branded vehicle, dealing with anti-social behaviour and criminal activity. They also visit premises offering practical security and personnel safety advice and equipment.
StreetBeat PSNI officer Michael Gillies added: “Being given the time and support both by the BID and PSNI management, I have been allowed to focus my work specifically within the Cathedral Quarter and its needs.
“This has helped to strengthen relationships already made with businesses and also to forge new ones. It’s back to basics Neighbourhood policing, only this time the neighbourhood is my local business community”.
However, the future of the scheme in the Cathedral Quarter relies on a ‘yes’ vote for a new five-year term for the Business Improvement District organisation Destination CQ.
With ballot papers already issued and voting by post closing on September 22, Mr Corr is keen to remind voters of what could be lost without their votes.
“The BID levy payers have told us that they really appreciate the work done by our Street Beat officers who, between them, have provided 2080 extra policing hours targeted patrolling,” he said.
“They were particularly effective over lockdown when lots of properties were left unattended. Our officers continued to patrol, checking on closed business premises and providing assurance and practical assistance to those who continued to work.
“It is a simple reality, that unless we get a yes vote in the ballot, aloof this additional targeted policing will be lost to Cathedral Quarter.”
Sorcha Woolsy, Operations Director of Beannchor with a number of businesses in the BID area said the BID has carried out a number of projects that have impacted the Beannchor suite of businesses.
“The one that really stands out to me is the provision of the City Centre Beat Officers,” she added.
“It’s a really good example of an initiative that a BID can provide that an individual business could not on their own.
“For me, it is imperative to vote yes on the re-ballot of the BID. The collective energy and brainpower and money of a group of businesses all pulling in the same direction for the betterment of this area will inevitably gain better results than individual businesses doing little bits and pieces on their own.”
For more information on the work of Destination CQ and Street Beat go to cathedralquarterbelfast.com or contact Damien Corr on 02890 314 011.
One Giant Weekend in partnership with the LCC Group, was One Giant Celebration of fun which took place across three of the Council’s iconic venues from Friday 3 – Sunday 5 September.
A spectacular Firework Finale at One Giant Evening at V36 on Friday 3 September as part of One Giant Weekend.
A celebration of Northern Irish music, culture, taste and traditions as part of the Council’s Northern Ireland Centenary programme ‘A Country’s Centenary for Our Community.’
V36 at The Valley was rocking on Friday night as the best of our local artists took to the stage including up and coming hip-hop star Jordan Adetunji and Newtownabbey Arts and Culture Network. The evening concluded with a spectacular Fireworks display lighting up the night sky.
At Antrim Castle Gardens, Carson and the Lady, a new drama by local playwright Michael Cameron funded by the Shared History Fund, took place on Friday and Saturday evening in the stunning setting of the castle ruins. This high society drama is a story about Lady Jean Massereene and her close friend and political hero Sir Edward Carson, amongst the audience enjoying this great drama was Lord Massereene.
The award-winning Antrim Castle Gardens was a hive of activity for One Giant Picnic on Saturday afternoon, the crowds were in great spirits as they relaxed on the main event field with their culinary delights where they were treated to an afternoon of fabulous music from the Armagh Rhymers, Jordan Walker and Bjorn Identity-Abba Tribute Band. Garden designer Diarmuid Gavin had a captive audience as TV presenter Claire McCollum hosted a Q&A session where Diarmuid offered advice and tips on all things gardening, the gardening expert also launched Garden Show Ireland 2022 which will return to Antrim Castle Gardens from Friday 29 April – Sunday 1 May. The Parterre Gardens was the perfect setting for more intimate performances from Northern Ireland Opera and Ronnie Greer. Mr Hullabaloo and Mr Bloom where also Giant hits with the children.
On Saturday evening Barry Douglas and Camerata Ireland headlined One Giant Concert at Theatre at The Mill with a sensational musical performance to an invited audience who were dazzled by Northern Ireland’s world class talent.
Spinning Yarns at Mossley Mill brought One Giant Weekend to a close on Sunday with a marvellous range of Market traders, demonstrations and workshops celebrating the wonderful world of all things associated with wool and linen. A great line up of music including Ballyduff Silver band and Campbell College Pipe and Drum Band added to the ambience of this colourful event.
Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Billy Webb said “One Giant Weekend was a Giant success, bringing our communities together. This three day festival was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the best of Northern Ireland talent across the Borough. It was great to see so many people enjoying and supporting the diverse and inclusive programme that had so much to offer for young and old alike”
Cathedral Quarter Business Improvement District, Destination CQ, has for five years been the collective voice for every business in the area, lobbying and consulting with local and regional government and government agencies.
Destination CQ Manager, Damien Corr said the ability to go to these organisations and speak for everyone in the Cathedral Quarter, Smithfield and Union, is one that can’t go unnoticed.
“We are involved in most stakeholder groups in the city and that’s something that our levy payers don’t see a lot of,” he explained.
“It takes up a lot of our time but it’s very worthwhile.
“The ability to lobby for individual businesses, or for the entire area, direct to departments is important, and we work away on issues until we are successful or reach an acceptable compromise.”
The pressures of the pandemic, shop closures and the complete halt to tourism have affected the economy as a whole but it also had a significant effect on the Cathedral Quarter. This inner-city neighbourhood, characterised by arts, culture, restaurants, entertainment and independent shops relies on tourists and visitors to survive.
Over the past five years, Destination CQ has represented business interests at City Reopening Stakeholder Group, City Centre Anti-Social Behaviour Action Group and the Small Business Forum.
At present there is a ballot to continue the BID’s work for a further five years and voting Yes to the BID means local businesses can present a unified front and have a collective voice when engaging with the various stakeholders, either local government or assembly level.
When asked about the importance of banding together to present a collective voice, Sorcha Wolsey, Operations Director for the Beannchor Group and Destination CQ BID Board member said it was important that businesses come together.
“The collective energy, brainpower and money of a group of businesses all pulling in the same direction for the betterment of this area will inevitably gain better results than individual businesses doing little bits and pieces on their own,” she said.
The business improvement district has been actively championing the area, partnering with promotional activities such as the government’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme to help restaurants in the area recover from the effects of the pandemic.
There have been numerous BID led initiatives that greatly benefited businesses in the neighbourhood. Culture Night and Restaurant Week are just some examples of the projects that make CQ a vibrant place to do business.
Board member and Director of Quigg Golden, Gavin Hendrie said Cathedral Quarter needed a body to explain the issues and promote the area.
“We need a champion for the area,” he explained. “We need the BID to help advertise the CQ as a place to come, to maintain the sense of vibrancy that we’ve known in the past and perhaps lost in the last 18 months.”
Supporting local businesses remains one of the three pillars the Business Improvement District plans to focus on in term two. Collective advocacy is still a priority with creating a strong alliance among stakeholders and ensuring BID members’ voice is heard in key city-wide discussions.
Les Hume, Vice-Chair of CQ BID explained why it is crucial to be represented as a collective:
“By being part of a collective we can present a reasoned, well thought through debate, we can actually bring our concerns and our troubles to the people who make the key decisions,” he said.
“I think that in the next five years we’re going to have even greater challenges as we try to build Belfast back better.
“To vote yes for this BID process means that your voice can be heard, along with mine hopefully. Together we’ll make Belfast better.
“Individually we will struggle. That’s what I think is good about a Business Improvement District, so please do consider voting yes.”
For more information on how the work of Destination CQ BID can benefit your business go to cathedralquarterbelfast.com or contact Damien Corr on 02890 314 011.
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is celebrating Good Relations Week 2021 with outdoor screenings of theanimation Gnomeo and Juliet in Portstewart and Limavady.
The free screenings will take place on Saturday 18th September at 2pm at Drumceatt Square outside Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre, and on the outdoor terrace at Flowerfield Arts Centre, Portstewart on Saturday 25th September at 2pm.
Billed as a comical re-boot of Shakespeare’s play, the popular animation takes place in the world of warring red gnomes and blue gnomes, separated by a garden fence.
Bring your own seat, a picnic and remember to dress for outdoor weather. The events are free but ticket numbers are limited. Social distancing restrictions will apply.
These events are supported by the Executive Office, through the Together: Building a United Community, District Council Good Relations Programme and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council.
Calling All Budding Entrepreneurs & Those Who Want To Improve Their Employability Prospects
Enterprise Causeway is offering people the chance to begin to chart the way to setting up their own business or investigate new employability prospects through its free Exploring Enterprise Programme.
Open to those who are unemployed, or working less than 16 hours per week, the course helps participants assess business ideas and job opportunities through group training and individual mentoring.
It aims to help increase confidence, create a personal development plan and explore either the possibility of starting a business or a new job.
Leo Mullan, Business Advisor at Enterprise Causeway, said the programme has already proved to be hugely beneficial for many people.
“Over the past number of years we have had some wonderful success stories, with participants on the programme starting businesses in nearly every industry sector and other participants finding employment”.
“You do not need to have a business idea to join the programme and all learning takes place in an open, non-threatening environment”.
Running over six sessions in total, two mornings per week (Tuesday and Thursday) participants can work towards achieving a qualification in Business Enterprise. You can gain an understanding of the concepts involved in starting a business, an insight into marketing a new business and a grasp of key finance principles. Participants can also avail of help developing their CVs, writing job applications and searching for further education/training courses
Previous participant, Robert Wiggins of Wee Jeans Café in Coleraine, said he had initially intended to go on the course to learn key financial skills but the Exploring Enterprise Programme offered much more.
“One skill that I learnt that was a big help was advertising and management skills as well,” he explained.
“It also helped me bring me out of my shell because you were in a group with people, you got to talk to them and find out different opportunities that they were doing, and some of them were interchangeable and over the course we were able to help each other out.”
Christina Smyth used the course to help her start Nellie Doodle Aprons, and after a friend recommended it to her was able to take much from the course.
“I think it was actually just that I knew nothing about starting a business and it was so encouraging,” she said.
“The four main skills I learnt from completing the course were management skills, financial skills, product development and marketing.
“I think I would have been terrified at the thought of doing something like this time last year and since completing the course I just think, I’m just loving this. The creative freedom and the satisfaction of doing something I love has just been brilliant.”
After working for seven years in both England and Northern Ireland, physiotherapist Brianne O’Neill decided to set up her own business.
She explained: “I enrolled on the Exploring Enterprise programme after meeting with a business advisor at Enterprise Causeway and it has helped me to develop my business, marketing and financial skills”.
Meanwhile, participant Richard Moore gained employment in youth work and said: “Completing the course helped him structure programmes for his youth work and had provided him with a sense of achievement”.
The Exploring Enterprise Programme is funded through the Northern Ireland Social Fund 2014-2020, Investment for Jobs and Growth Programme, The Department for the Economy, Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council and Enterprise Northern Ireland.
Do you have a business idea you want to explore? If so, call Robin on 028 7035 6318 or email eep@enterprisecauseway.co.uk.
Destination CQ is delighted to be the sponsors of this year’s Best Creative Business category once again in the Belfast Business Awards.
The awards, sponsored by the Bank of Ireland UK, were postponed last year due to Covid-19 but with life slowly returning to normal, all Cathedral Quarter business owners are encouraged to enter to be in with a chance of shining a light on their successes after.
Destination CQ BID Manager, Damien Corr, said: “This city has a wealth of talent ranging from creators, makers and inventors who need to be recognised with our sponsorship of this award.
“The capital of most creative businesses is their people and the Cathedral Quarter has great examples of innovative businesses leading the way throughout Belfast’s resurgence.”
Previous Cathedral Quarter business winners include Willie Jack, owner of the Duke of York and The Harp Bar, who won the respected lifetime achievement award.
In 2018 Groundswell in CQ won Best Digital Business in 2018 Awards, a leading E-Commerce and Digital Marketing agency.
The benefits of entering and perhaps winning an award is the added credibility which can attract new customers, suppliers and when pitching to potential clients, as well as the accolades and prestige. And, it serves as a recognition of the staff contribution to business success.
Entry deadline is midnight, Friday September 3, 2021. The Destination CQ Creative Business Award is one of 21 categories. The award ceremony will take place on Friday, October 22, 2021 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Shaw’s Bridge.
The awards are organised by Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce with principal sponsor Bank of Ireland UK. To be eligible for businesses must be located in Belfast, or be a member of Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce.
Details of the Belfast Business Awards and how to enter are available at belfastchamber.com.
The Portico of Ards in Portaferry is well known for delivering a fantastic range of concerts and has become a big draw for tourists as well as locals, but did you know it’s run almost exclusively by volunteers?
The charity that runs Portico has just one employee who manages a team of dozens of local people and it is these volunteers that come together to bring arts and music events to the Ards peninsula.
After 18 months of being forced to close due to the Covid restrictions, the Portico of Ards in Portaferry has finally been able to open its doors to live audiences again, but with more than 50 concerts rescheduled over the last year and a half, there’s a jam packed schedule between between September’s Comedy Arts Festival and Christmas. With at least one concert every weekend, this is wonderful news for lovers of live music and comedians, but it’s turned into a bit of a headache for Portico’s Manager Dr Verity Peet.
“It’s great that we’re so busy, and we love having audiences back at Portico, but we’d really like some new volunteers to get involved. We ask people to commit to at least one evening each month but there’s plenty of choice in what kind of gigs they can help out at and what roles they can do. Quite frankly, we’re really grateful to our volunteers – they are the lifeblood of this place. Without them, we simply couldn’t survive. Volunteers do so much here, from gardening to fundraising, but at the moment we especially need more help with ushering at concerts on Friday or Saturday nights.”
So what does it take to be a volunteer at Portico? Local artist Sara Brown has been volunteering at Portico for several years and loves it. “I’m more than happy to support a venue on my doorstep because it brings great events to Portaferry and is so much easier than travelling to Belfast. It’s really easy work and there’s always great craic. I’ve met new friends, discovered new kinds of music and got a social life for free! What’s not to like?”
The Comedy Arts Festival coming up at Portico starts on Friday 17 Sept and includes stand up comedians Paddy Raff and Neil Delamere, sketch show Our Jimmy, operetta The Pirates of Penzance, Motown tribute band The Iconettes and a family show featuring live organ and piano duets with silent animation. The festival is supported by Ards and North Down Borough Council and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. After that there’s Ryan McMullan, The Bjorn Identity, The Shamrock Tenors and lots more. If these are the kinds of events you’d like to volunteer at then get in touch with verity@porticoards.com or to see what events are coming up visit porticoards.com
Taste Ards and North Down – Autumn Food Festival: Dates for your Diary
Beginning on 4 September and running right through to 21 October 2021, our Autumn Food Festival gives you the opportunity to savour seasonal tide and turf produce and some of the boroughs finest food and drink.
With ticketed experiences for the dedicated foodies, as well as a fantastic FREE Tide and Turf family-friendly event in Portavogie on 11 September, there will be something to suit everyone’s taste!
